In a hike of just an hour or so, there’s a place at north Tahoe where you can reach a series of five wilderness lakes nestled in granite amid a pine forest.

It’s called the Five Lakes Trail and it’s one of the best short day hikes in California.

The drive to the trailhead near Alpine Meadows Ski Area is paved. The trailhead is signed and has a billboard with a map. The hike is 2.5 miles one-way with a 1,000-foot climb into the Granite Chief Wilderness.

When you top the ridge at 7,400 feet, the trail then feeds you to a series of five pristine lakes linked by a mosaic of paths. You can find places here where you can sit on a rock and never want to leave.